Ice And Fire Finally Become One In The ‘Game Of Thrones’ Season Finale: The Dragon And The Wolf

Welcome to Recap #2 over here at Fiction’s Mistress! Still freaking out over that explosive finale? You’re in good company.

In Part 1 of my recap, I talk about that major character death, and the surprising and beautiful reunion of House Stark. But here, we’re going to be talking about the ship of the century. The long-awaited moment when two great rulers finally came together. In the Season 7 finale of Game of Thrones, Jon and Daenerys finally took their relationship to the next level. And the internet is losing its collective mind.

I’m not going to lie, I’ve been rooting for this right from the beginning. Daenerys and Jon have always been strong leaders, but they’ve also been underdogs. There’s something inherently good and truly relatable that makes you love them. Alone, they are forces to be reckoned with. Together, they’d be nearly indestructible. After all, the strongest sword is made with both ice and fire.

This Pairing Is The Only One That Makes Sense

I’m not going to deny that I ship these two hardcore, and I’ve always considered them to be endgame. But let’s take that away for a second and just look at the facts. The truth is that it makes a lot of sense for Jon and Daenerys to end up together. They come from different Houses, but together, they could unite all Seven Kingdoms. What better way to secure an alliance between these two great families than marriage? If Dany sits on the Iron Throne, she will need the support of the North. The lack of support from the North is part of what nearly destroyed House Lannister. By strengthening the alliances and bonds between lands, they would ensure a longer-lasting peace.

Both Jon And Dany Have Loved And Lost

Neither of these characters ever believed they would find love again. Drogo was Dany’s first love, as Ygritte was Jon’s. And after their devastating deaths, both of our heroes carried guilt. And though they never said it in so many words, they had both resigned themselves to a life alone. But once they met each other, everything changed. No, it wasn’t love at first sight. But there was a spark. There was heat. Kit Harington himself admitted that Jon never expected the Mother of Dragons to be so beautiful.

This episode, their bond strengthened. Jon defied Cersei openly, admitting that he is a man of his word, and had already pledged his allegiance to House Targaryen, to Queen Daenerys. He cannot swear himself to two queens. And he will not. He’s seen who she is and he knows that she is the only true Queen of Westeros. Not only will he admit this, but he will fight for her. He will bend the knee. And as for Daenerys? She sees a strength in him, a strength that she hasn’t seen since Drogo. She’s seen his resilience, his bravery, and above all, his loyalty. And without quite knowing it, without being able to admit it, Jon and Daenerys began to fall in love with each other.

Love In The Eyes

By the end of the episode, neither can contain it anymore. Jon arrives at her door, and even before she opens it, we know exactly what’s going to happen. There’s a connection that runs deep between the two of them. A song of Ice and Fire. In the Season 7 finale, they finally consummate their love. Both look deep into each other’s eyes, and again we see the spark. This connection that neither Jon or Dany can quite explain, but that we now have confirmation of.

Jon Is No Bastard, And His True Name Proves It

In the Season 6 finale, it was proven that the popular R+L=J theory was correct. This theory revolves around the idea that Rhaegar Targaryen never kidnapped and raped Lyanna Stark, but that the two were actually in love. She died giving birth to his child, a child that Ned swore to protect. Jon Snow was never Ned’s son, but his nephew.

This season, they took it one step further and proved that not only is Jon the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen, but that he isn’t actually a bastard! Rhaegar was given an annulment and remarried to Lyanna. Not only that, but his name isn’t actually Jon! It’s Aegon Targaryen! Not only is Jon a Targaryen Prince, he is actually the rightful heir to the Throne! And neither himself or Daenerys have any idea!

Will Jon’s True Parentage Jeopardize His Relationship With Daenerys?

So, there’s a lot going on here. Jon and Dany are related. Jon is the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. Daenerys is the Mother of Dragons and has lived her entire life believing that she is the last Dragon. This revelation is a game changer. But I don’t think it is a catastrophic one.

Jon has no interest in power. He is an excellent ruler, and the truth is that he would be perfect by Dany’s side. But he has no lust for it. In fact, he wants to see Dany on the throne. Learning of his parentage won’t change that, it isn’t in his nature. And as soon as Dany sees him prove that he isn’t a threat, I think she’ll accept it. He’s never given her any reason to believe he is after the throne himself, and if there’s anyone we can trust on this show, it’s Jon.

The matter of relation is certainly…an obstacle, at the very least. But let’s be real for a second. This is Westeros we’re talking about. Targaryens used to wed brother and sister all the time. Incest was just a part of the game, a way to keep the royal bloodline pure. If sister/brother relationships were accepted, aunt/nephew really shouldn’t be that weird. And perhaps you disagree, perhaps you are on the exact same page right now, but I really couldn’t care less. I am here for this relationship. I think they make a great pairing, I think it is the best pairing for Westeros, and truthfully, Jon and Daenerys just deserve to be happy. But what cost that happiness will come at…none of us can be sure yet. Only in Season 8 will it be revealed.

As always, thanks for reading, and feel free to geek out with me in the comments!

Published by Maggie Stancu

Maggie Stancu is a Canadian film critic and recap guru who is obsessed with too many shows and films to count. She is the founder, editor-in-chief, and sole contributor to media news site Fiction's Mistress. Maggie previously contributed to pop culture sites such as ScreenPrism and Movie Pilot, and continues to contribute to Vocal Media. She's also still waiting for her Hogwarts letter, which should arrive any day now...
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